The present invention relates to a method for performing laser surgery and, more particularly, to a method for simultaneously ablating, coagulating, and/or shrinking biological tissue.
Directing coherent radiation from a laser at a target is a well known method for precisely cutting that target by ablating or vaporizing a portion of it. When the target is living biological tissue, the dynamic nature of the target poses special problems. For example, fluids such as blood may flow into the area of the cut, obscuring that area and absorbing part of the energy that otherwise would go into ablating the target.
This problem can be mitigated by directing beams of coherent radiation of two or more wavelengths at the tissue, one beam to ablate the tissue and the other to perform some other action, such as coagulating small blood vessels to prevent inflow of blood. For example, Freiberg, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,494, which is incorporated by reference for our purposes as if fully set forth herein, advocates using radiation in a range of wavelengths between about 0.1 and about 0.3 microns, and between about 2.0 and about 12.0 microns, for ablative cutting, and radiation in a range of wavelengths between about 0.3 microns and about 2.0 microns for coagulation. These beams of coherent radiation are directed coaxially at the tissue to be cut. Suitable means for combining laser beams coaxially are well known in the art. One such means is disclosed by Nakajima in U.S. Pat. No. 4,408,602. Another is disclosed by Jako in U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,854. Both of these patents are incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
Among the surgical procedures to which laser surgery may be applied are skin resurfacing and hair implantation. In skin resurfacing, the upper layer of skin is ablated by a first laser beam while the underlying collagen is coagulated and shrunk by a second laser beam. In hair implantation, the accuracy of the drilling of holes for the implantation of new hair using a first laser beam is enhanced by the use of a second laser beam to coagulate small blood vessels and prevent inflow of blood. Both of these procedures are very delicate and require precise selection and control of the wavelengths, intensities and durations of the laser beams.
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a more precise method for using lasers to perform delicate surgical procedures such as skin resurfacing and hair implantation.